Connected
by Eternal-Night-Ride
Summary: (Chapter 615 POV exploration. Spoilers.) Today, in this most dreadful of days, he was in darkness. They all were. That was how he saved her a long, long time ago: when he fell, he stood back up. That was why she felt her heart rip, when she saw those eyes falter.
1. Moving On

Moving On

The world took a moment for her to be able to hear the sound of her heart rip. Torn into a million pieces. Her entire body shook, feeling the pain twist inside her chest far more than any of the injuries she withstood against the previous attacks the monsters before them had compelled the ten tails to do. For a long agonizing moment, the only things she could feel were the tears that rolled down her cheeks and the only thing she could see was the body - **older brother, cousin, hero**- lying on the ground.

Then Obito Uchiha spoke. Directly to the person she had sworn to protect, the man who had inadvertently saved her once upon a time by showing her a guiding light by beaming, smiling, through great odds and hardships. Today, in this most dreadful of days, he was in darkness. They all were.

She could see deep in his eyes that same gaze wavering. Yet again. She always saw this somehow, despite not being accompanied with him all the time. At his lowest, at his weakest. But most of the time, he always just stood up, even in broken bones and shattered knees and crumpled spirits. When the whole world called him a loser. That was how he saved her a long, long time ago. When he fell, he stood back up.

* * *

_You changed me. Your smile saved me!_

* * *

That was why she felt her heart rip, yet again, when she saw those eyes falter. Even for a brief moment. Not here - in this landscape of death, in this last swan song of a caged bird - not today, **not ever**. So she raised her hand when that speech ended and allowed that hand to land where it

would wake

him

**up. **

He had to remember just exactly how he saved them. Just exactly how he had cleansed her family of the legacy of hatred, allowing her cousin to see that no ill will needed to be fostered there and destiny didn't flow in one abhorrent direction. Just exactly how he saved Konoha in his ability to inspire and connect everyone even long before this bleak war would end simply by reinforcing that love and friendship and understanding would always overpower the cycle of vengeance.

He was their bright light, the sun that shone over the people of his village and that very shinobi world. An admirable person. A man of great inspiration.

She knew that incredibly dark hole of self-doubt more than anyone. For the longest time, she was stuck there. Forever the disappointment to her clan, a constant source of shame and dishonor to her father, always running too hard after her more talented family - her cousin, her younger sister - then falling. She always fell. One time she would have believed that it was her only fate: a person always left behind. A true failure. Nobody.

Without even approaching her and simply showing her the way, he had burst into her life like a bright ray of sunshine breaking past the gray clouds that surrounded her. Just like her, he was a failure. But that didn't matter. In the end, there was always a brighter future and a more hopeful next day to look forward to. All that was necessary was to stop hanging her head down.

* * *

_Because even if you fail, you have the strength to get back up. Because I believe that's what true strength is._

* * *

Instead, be like him. Like Naruto-kun, whose skinned knees and awful test scores mattered little. He would fight until he achieved his goals and ambitions. Always looking towards the sun. There was always something to believe in, another day to prove himself, another day to protect what was right and all the people that he loved and cared for.

There was no time to dwell on the miseries of war. It hurt, yes. So, so much. But this was not the day for grieving. Those who had already fallen before them, their great comrades, had fought to their very end for something that was right. Something that they believed in. To lose that fight for them when they had already lost their lives was to shun their sacrifices. Their glory would continue on to those who still lived and can continue to fight this war for them. They could not lose.

They had to sweep up the remnants of hurt from their failures in this war for later, when this much wasn't at stake.

When she held his cheek gently, it felt like the entire world that were around them was quiet. Even here, in the very worst calamity of their time it felt like haven. All those fighting words he had shared with her, with everyone in the past, had kept her heart shielded from the weathering storm that disbelieved in those ideals. Their ninja way. The feel of his skin against hers was warm, like always. She hoped her words could reach his heart and make him feel that same sense of haven she felt around him.

The very magnitude of his words protected her and shielded her. He just needed reminding.

It never changed whatever happened. She always believed in him.

And he never failed to meet that expectation.

Their hands locked.

* * *

_Because I don't want you to disappear here._


	2. Connected

Connected

He had never felt stunned to silence before. The loud mouth knucklehead ninja, shouting over the rooftops and mountaintops of the Leaf village. Always abrasive, the first to say something overconfident and rowdy. Not always in the best of vocabularies either. There was nothing to be embarrassed about, he had already started at the lowest of lows. They could never bring him any lower than he had already began. In his eternally optimistic mind, the only way to go from there was up.

He had genuinely never felt shy before. Each time, faced with somebody who should be treated with utmost respect and manners, he was the first one to break the ice by acting like an unfiltered brat. Calling them extremely familiar somewhat insulting nicknames, he was never likely to feel awkward about the things that came out of his mouth. Words were words were words. But he felt for them, connected with them, spoke with his fist for them. Without fail, his unfiltered, open expression of emotions would always win them over.

He had never been one to show that he could brought to his knees as well. It was his way of the ninja, after all. Always, always fighting. Never to give up. In spite of the pain, through a world of constant failure and rejection, he stood up despite the quivering knees and the blood dripping from his temple preventing him to see. None of those things mattered in the face of being one step closer, no matter how slowly he inched towards his goal of acknowledgment. That was why he absolutely refused to let anyone see how low he could feel, how much he actually believed all those words they shouted at him in the deepest darkest part of his heart: dead last, loser, failure. Monster. There was always a need to put on a brave face everyday because it was his way of life and it was the one thing he felt never failed him. It had gotten him this far. There was a fear in him but he couldn't let that get him down.

He always felt the need to ask for attention. No one turned to him by their own accord. At one point of his lonely desperate existence, it didn't matter what it took to get them to turn and just look at him. Even if the stares that faced him were one of dread, of hate, of anger. Eventually he realized that there was something so much more worthwhile to keep fighting for, a much better way for them to look at him. Yet, all the time, he would still be trying to call attention to himself.

He always felt the fear of loneliness. At the back of his mind. Always.

In those pale eyes - so white and milky and reflective and determined, he saw his image in those eyes. All the things he had never felt or done before, all at once, fell and shattered around him.

**There was a first time for everything. **

Hinata did things to him he never quite understood and couldn't describe. Even though he was always filled with words, not always of the eloquent type, but filled to the brim with words regardless.

When he held her hand, he felt connection. And he knew nothing was ever truly lost.

* * *

…_never letting go of that hand…_


End file.
